This morning, as the sun rose over Phnom Penh, many of the Cambodian capital’s two million residents were already out and going about their day. Some took advantage of an early morning stroll along the waterfront, all while The Jahan prepared to set sail down the river. Today was our last day in Cambodia, but before we left, we had a special guest presentation from Jean-Michel Filippi who talked about modern Cambodian history and the Khmer Rouge. While seemingly nothing can adequately explain the madness, this helped fill in the blanks and provided further insight.
We spent the rest of the day cruising downstream to the international border where, after dealing with customs and immigration, we successfully entered Vietnam! We also had a cooking class where we learned how to make regional specialties, and then as sunset approached, we entered the Tan Chau Canal. This man-made channel connects the Mekong River to the Bassac, the two main arms of the delta which emanate from the confluence at Phnom Penh. We passed many floating houses at close range as these villagers worked, relaxed, and played in the golden afternoon sunlight.
